Completing the set.

This is the last one! It completes the set of pool party, apothecary art cards.  This one uses the elegant bouquet embossing folder on the base card.  The stamped image is 3d mounted and again coloured with marker pens

More Apothecary Art

Here we go, card number 3! Again, much more straightforward to make than it looks.  We used the Vintage wallpaper embossing folder on the pool party base card and then added a 3d mounted Apothecary art stamp which we coloured with the Stampin Up marker pens.

Card number 2...

...from the set. Again, as for all the cards, we used Pool Party for the base card; this time running it through the big shot in the striped embossing folder to add some texture. Then we took a piece of Attic Boutique designer paper and cut a shape from the centre using the framelits to create a window.  Using a smaller frame we stamped and cut the label from Apothecary art and stamped the sentiment across the middle and 3d mounted it in the centre.

Manhattan Flowers

Card number one from the Apothecary Art card set.  A clean and simple design and so elegant.  The embossed design is created using the Manhattan Flowers embossing folder and the Big Shot. A strip of Attic Boutique designer paper at the edge adds a little colour and interest. The greeting is from Apothecary Art set off with some sparkle from a few rhinestones.

Anthology of Apothecary Art

I'm going to share this class with you over a few days so that we can look at the projects in closer detail. We made 4 square cards and a coordinating container.  It would make a great gift I think.

Let's start with the box, it is made from Pool Party card stock and the handle is  from the complementary Attic Boutique designer papers.

The image is from the Apothecary Art stamp set and is cut using the framelits in the Big shot.  The roses are coloured using marker pens in Pool party and Old Olive.

No Sew projects

These are the projects that I made in the No Sew class that Elizabeth ran at the Worthing craft weekend. We made a fleecy mug warmer, decorated a jar lid and made a fabric bookmark.

We used the Twitterpated fabrics, which coordinate perfectly with the Twitterpated designer papers, and we added some lush pleated ribbon, buttons and some Antique brads.

All the shapes were cut using the Big Shot which makes it so easy. Some of the fabric needed to be attached very firmly i.e. to the lid of the jar.  To achieve this Elizabeth had provided the new adhesive sheets from Stampin up.  I hadn't used these before and was a little unsure but one I got the idea it was great, they certainly stick well :)

Loads of projects!

Remember my weekend away in Worthing when I spent the whole weekend crafting? The photo shows some of the projects that I made.  
I took some of my own projects to work on but these are the classes that I bought into from Elizabeth and below are the gifts that she made for us.

Elizabeth has shared the projects we made on her blog which you can see here, she also has details of next years weekend!

Over the next few days I will share all the projects in more detail with you but today I wanted to highlight the frame that we decorated.  Elizabeth included this project in the cost of the weekend so we had all the components waiting for us on our arrival.
The background paper is Stampin Up's confetti card and has flecks of colour within it. I embossed it with stripes which added some lovely texture. All the stamps are from the Creative Elements set, I used cherry cobbler for the accents and early espresso for the words. There is a strip of the gorgeous vintage lace ribbon across the middle and although you probably can't spot them in this photo there are some pearls too.

Rockin' Butterflies

This is the last card from last months card club and was inspired by a card I saw online, again I'm sorry I can't credit the person who designed it as I forgot to take note. 
It seemed to evolve as it went on; the butterflies are created from the mixed bunch flower stamps, punched and then two petals removed. Initially that is how they remained but then at card club we came up with the idea of using the discarded petals/wings to create a more 3d effect.  The two colours are achieved using the rock and roll technique, inking the stamp first in daffodil yellow colour and then rolling the edges of the stamp in pool party ink. A piece of twine tied around created the body and antenna of the butterfly.
The base card has been embossed with the striped embossing folder and some matching pool party ruffled ribbon tied around to finish.

Union Jack patterns

I am in love with the Twitterpated designer paper! It's just so pretty. This card is cased from one that I saw in a Stampin' Up! publication, it was a sample made by a demonstrator that was shared at a regional training event. When I saw it I wanted to have a go myself and then I shared it further with the ladies at my monthly card club.
The card is made using the embedded embossing technique; I began with the darker patterned paper and using whisper white card and the paler floral paper I gradually created my Union flag design. Once it was all in place I tucked it inside the textured embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot. This caused all the layers to press tightly together giving the impression of one piece of paper, it almost feels like a piece of fabric. Finally I mounted it onto a navy base card and added a greeting. 

Apothecary Art and Framelits

I designed this card for last months Make, Do and Send card club. It's the first time I have really made use of the new framelit and edgelit dies that became available in the Summer mini catalogue. The framelit dies come in various sizes and coordinate perfectly with the Apothecary Art stamp set. The edgelit dies, which I have used here on the vertical edge of my card front and also echoed with the Twitterpated designer paper on both the front and inside of my card, create a beautiful decorative edge; there are also complementing embossing folders available. 
For this card I kept to just one colour, Island Indigo. The image is coloured with Indigo ink using a blender pen. 

Christmas already?!

I know, it's only July but if I don't start now I'll never be ready in time.  This card was inspired by a card I found online, I'm really sorry to whoever designed it but I didn't take a note of your name. The design really appealed to me for a Christmas card as it can be mass produced fairly easily. The colour palette is traditional for Christmas, Old olive, Real red and Whisper white.  The background was embossed with polka dots to add some texture. I used circle circus and perfect punches stamp sets and stamped in coordinating ink.  The circles were all punched and layered and 3d mounted for interest.

Tea Shoppe Gatefold.

Well, here we are, the last card from the handbag portfolio that we made at team training. Amanda designed all of these cards for us, you can see her blog here. 
This is a lovely gate fold card decorated inside and out with papers from the Sweet shop designer paper pack. 

The accent images are from Tea Shoppe, I wasn't sure about this set when I first saw it but I have to confess it has grown on me and is now top of my wish list. The images are stamped in chocolate chip ink onto whisper white card, and matted onto a pool party scalloped circle. A length of ribbon secured with a jelly bean brad holds the card closed for sending.


Here is a closer look at the accents.

Up, Up and Away

Happy 4th of July to all my friends across the pond! 


This is card number three from the portfolio set and showcases the new Up, up and away stamp set from the summer mini, aren't the hot air balloons cute? The base card is chocolate chip which remains one of my favourites. The images are also stamped in chocolate chip onto sweet shop designer paper. The sentiment is stamped in chocolate chip onto whisper white card, matted onto pool party card and attached to chocolate satin ribbon.  You can just see in the photograph that the bird images are continued onto the card insert.

Mouthwatering

Another from the Handbag portfolio. The main image is from the Mouthwatering stamp set and has been coloured with marker pens. The designer paper is again from Sweet shop; other embellishments are the new Bakers twine in calypso coral, ruffled ribbon also in coral and a jelly bean brad.The sentiment is from Sweet cake.

Sweet Cake

This is the first card from the Handbag portfolio and uses a colour combination of Wisteria wonder, Pool Party and Lucky limeade.  The image is from the Sweet Cake stamp set available in the Summer mini catalogue, it has been stamped and then the icing coloured using a blender pen and a jelly bean brad added for interest.  You can't see very well in this photo but the limeade layer beneath the image has had a pattern pierced in the corners, I don;t use the technique very often but I do like it, I really should remember it more. The designer paper layer is from Sweet Shop, also available from the summer mini.

Handbag Portfolio

Isn't this great? A handbag made from Speciality Designer Paper that holds 4 regular A6 cards inside it!  Amanda Fowler showed us how to make these at our quarterly training event in May. 

The bag is made from just one sheet of 12x12 paper which is scored and folded.  The closure is made by adding another small piece of card. I stamped mine with the confetti stamp set and the handbag strap is a piece of Lucky limeade ruffled ribbon. 

I'll show you the cards in more detail over the next few days.

Christmas Bauble

I know it's only June but you can never begin Christmas preparations too early!
For this tree bauble I used the ornament punch to cut lots of shapes from real red designer paper, old olive card and red glimmer paper. I folded them all in half and stuck them all together to create a three dimensional bauble.  I attached a loop of ribbon in the centre so I can hang it on my tree.


OK that's one down, loads more to go, phew it's a good job Christmas is still 6 months away!

Forked bow!

This bow is made using a fork! I won't try to explain how but I am sure there are lot's of tutorials to be found on the internet, I guess you could use a bow maker too. 
The ribbon nicely covers the edge of the designer paper and the bow sits on top.  The flower is made from two Mixed bunch blooms, the top layer has had the individual petals cut to the centre which adds some 3D interest and a touch of bling in the centre from a rhinestone.  The greeting is from the curly cute stamp set.

Rock and roll, Vintage Vogue and a Faux Bow!

Another pretty bow taught to me by Amanda. However this one isn't really a bow it just looks like one and the beauty of this one is that it lies so flat that it will easily go through the post, alternatively you could add lots of extra layers and colours to it and really go to town. 
The stamped image is using the Vintage Vogue flowers and I used the rock and roll technique to get the two colours.  First I inked up my stamp with the paler pretty in pink colour and then carefully rolled the edges of the stamp on the rose red ink pad so that colour was only added to the edge.  

Simply Happy Birthday

Simple designs are often the most striking I think.  This stamp is available exclusively to hostesses and is part of a larger set of 11 stamps called Happiest Birthday Wishes.
The base card is Peach parfait and I coloured the stamp with marker pens in various colours that would coordinate with the peach.  I didn't have any peach ribbon so I added another strip of card along the bottom of the card and echoed that on the insert.  Then I thought I was done so I took my photograph but looking at it later I decided that it was missing a little something. 3 Rhinestones on my peach strip was what it needed :)